


The Girl Next Door

by MikusProud



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:14:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25681141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikusProud/pseuds/MikusProud
Summary: They started as neighbors and became friends. But she wanted to be more than just the girl next door.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Hermione Granger
Comments: 58
Kudos: 253





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the first chapter of a new story. This story is complete in nine chapters, and I will be posting each chapter as it get's cleaned up. 
> 
> This is a Muggle-AU, and it is what I consider a "Hallmark movie." Meaning if you are looking for something deep and meaningful, you won't find it here! (No disrespect to Hallmark movies - I love them!) Each chapter will be a scene in time in Hermione & Sirius' relationship.
> 
> Thank you, as always, to my friend and beta, Ms. K. Everdeen!
> 
> Disclaimer: I wish I could live in this world, but I unfortunately don’t own any of it.

Hermione shifted nervously from foot to foot as she waited for the door to open. She held the plate of warm cookies out in front of her like an offering, half wishing no one would open the door so she could escape back to the relative safety of her flat. But then she would have a whole batch of fresh baked cookies all to herself. Not the best idea.  
  
Just as she was about to give up and make her way back down to her door, she heard a crash and muffled cursing coming from behind the closed door in front of her. Not too muffled though; the old building had thin, uninsulated walls, and she had to admit, she was rather impressed by her new neighbor's vocabulary. Her own catalog of curse words wasn't nearly as extensive.  
  
Suddenly the door swung open, making Hermione jump, though she had been expecting it. She forced a smile onto her face to look up into the man's grey eyes, and nearly took a step back at the hostility she found there.  
  
"What," He said flatly. Surely meant to be a question, but without the accompanying inflection making it so.  
  
She stared at him dumbly for a moment before dropping her eyes and stuttering, "I-I-I'm Hermione. I live next door. I know you've been moving in all day, so I thought you may like a treat." With this, she raised her offering up to him.  
  
When he didn't respond, she glanced up at him again and was relieved to find the hostility gone from his eyes, having been replaced with clear amusement. He leaned his shoulder against the door frame and his lips quirked into a smirk, eyes crinkling in the corners.  
  
"Are you making an offering to me?" He asked. His voice held more emotion this time, clearly inflecting a question. His voice was deep and raspy, with an amused warmth to it that brought a smile to her lips.  
  
"Yes?" She said, making it sound like a question, "I... Well, I didn't get along great with the guy who lived here before."  
  
That was an understatement. Her previous neighbor, who had lived here a good thirty years before she had moved in nearly three years ago, was a miserable old coot. He hated her on sight for the mere fact that she was young and a woman, two facts which he clearly thought were unforgivable sins. She knew he had kept a diary of her comings and goings and was always ratting on her to the landlord every time she jostled her keys too loudly in the hallway. She had been thrilled when he had moved out two months ago. Or maybe he had died? Either way, he was gone, and she finally had some peace.  
  
And she hoped to keep it that way. Hence the cookie offering. But she hadn't meant to admit the bad terms she had been on with her previous neighbor to this man.  
  
"I just mean... Well... He was... Umm..." Hermione felt her cheeks redden fiercely at her stumbling and as the man's smirk grew to a grin. She stopped speaking and took a deep breath before continuing, "He was not my biggest fan. And I was hoping to perhaps buy some goodwill from you with some fresh baked cookies."  
  
The man glanced down at the plate, "Fresh baked, hmm?" He asked with obvious interest, "I think that would be payment enough to buy some initial goodwill."  
  
He stepped back and pulled the door open wide, jerking his head to the side in invitation.  
  
Hermione's eyes bulged. She was just meant to hand the plate of cookies off to him, not enter his flat alone and unprotected, with a man she didn't even know. He could be a serial killer, for all she knew.  
  
"Well?" He prompted at her hesitation.  
  
"I don't even know your name," Hermione practically whispered, her voice thick with nerves.  
  
He grinned again, and the sight made her relax somewhat. He reached out his left hand to take the plate from her, then extended his right hand for her to shake, "Sirius Black. Pleasure to meet you."  
  
Hermione smiled at him as she shook his hand and stepped into his apartment, hoping against hope she wouldn't end up on the missing persons list.  
  
The entry hallway was littered with boxes, and she had to carefully pick her way through, following Sirius. When the hallway opened up to the living area, she gasped. Sirius shot her a questioning look, and she blushed, "This place is huge!"  
  
"Huge" may have been an overstatement. The living room opened into a dining area and kitchen, making the space seem much larger than it probably was. Compared to her tiny flat, it was like entering a mansion.

"Is it?" Sirius asked, looking around, "Could have fooled me."  
  
Hermione huffed out a nervous laughed, "You should see my place," his raised eyebrow made her blush more, "It's not much bigger than a postage stamp. You could fit my whole flat into this space alone with room to spare."  
  
"I was under the impression all the flats were identical," Sirius questioned as he slid the plate of cookies onto the littered countertop.  
  
"So was I. I can't believe Old Man Mills lived in this place!"  
  
Sirius shot her a smile, "I hope I don't become Old Man Black to you."  
  
She laughed, genuinely this time, "Oh you won't. We're already off to a better start, not to mention he had forty years on you, at least."  
  
"Good to know. I can't really offer you a drink past tap water. I haven't been round to the shop yet and things are a little sparse."  
  
"Oh that's fine. Hopefully the cookies stand on their own," Hermione smiled as she watched him take a bite.  
  
He smiled at her widely when he had swallowed, "Really good. Do you bake often?"  
  
"Not as often as I like," she perched carefully at the edge of the stool he had waved her to, grabbing a cookie from the plate, "My kitchen leaves a lot to be desired, and it can be frustrating to do much more than boil an egg. But I love it, so I do it when I can."  
  
"You don't seem particularly enthralled with your flat. Why are you still here? This isn't exactly a prime real estate location."  
  
His question made her stupidly blush again, "I had roommates all throughout University and hated sharing my space. So, after graduation, I was determined to live on my own. Unfortunately, all I could afford on my starter salary without a roommate was this place. And believe me, I looked."  
  
"What is it you do?"  
  
"Pediatric nurse. It's work I love, and it pays well enough, but the office is downtown and if I don't live nearby, I wouldn't be able to stand the commute."  
  
He nodded in understanding, taking another cookie. She took a moment to study him. He was probably in his mid-forties she decided and had a rather rough and scruffy look about him, which she though suited his raspy rock'n roll voice well. His dark brown hair was long and was pulled back into a messy ponytail. It obviously had wave to it, judging by the curling ends that framed his face.  
  
His beard was longer than appropriate, and it was clearly from lack of grooming rather than intentional choice of length. It was beginning to thread through with grey, though there was no evidence of it in his hair.  
  
He wore a grey t-shirt with an old rock band's logo, with ripped up jeans. And he had tattoos. Lots of them. She couldn't really make out what they were. They looked more like symbols than pictures, but they were all in black ink, and though she wasn't usually a huge fan of that particular look, they seemed to suit him.  
  
When the silence had stretched out too long to be comfortable, she asked, "So, what's your excuse? You obviously know this isn't the best place to live, why are you moving in?"  
  
He appeared to mull over her question for a moment, and it appeared to be his turn to study her. Uncomfortable with the scrutiny, she dropped her eyes and nervously patted down her wild honey brown curls. When he didn't say anything, she looked up again and met his eyes. Then he shrugged, "My ex had a better lawyer than me."  
  
"Ahhh,"Hermione responded, unsure what else to say.  
  
Silence fell again, and she reached for a change in topic. "So, what do you do?" She very nearly cringed at the cliché question, but Sirius answered without hesitation, "I work in construction. Mostly rehab work on older buildings."  
  
"That's probably pretty big business right now with the old warehouse conversions going on all over the city."  
  
"We do alright," he said.  
  
"Maybe the landlord will hire you to rehab this place," Hermione joked halfheartedly. Sirius barked out a laugh that made her jump.  
  
"I hope not. We wouldn't be able to afford it then."  
  
She grinned at him, then deciding that she should perhaps quit while she was ahead, she stood and said, "Well, I'll leave you to it. It was nice to meet you, Sirius."  
  
"You to, Hermione. You can stop by anytime if you bring something else fresh baked," his wink made her smile again as he led her to the door.  
  
Once she was back in her flat, she let out a whoosh of air. That had gone better than she expected.


	2. Chapter 2

She fiddled with her key for longer than should have been necessary. Her lock was acting up; she would have to text her landlord. Again. Not that it would do any good.  
  
She nearly jumped out of her skin and dropped her bag full of groceries when a voice came from beside her, "Need some help?"  
  
She turned to see Sirius standing next to her, smirk on his face. She hadn't seen him since bringing him cookies nearly a week ago, though she could often hear him puttering around his flat. Thin walls and all.  
  
"No thanks, I'll get it," thankfully the lock decided to give at that moment, and she grinned triumphantly, "I just have to show it who's boss!"  
  
Sirius barked out a laugh. He was even more disheveled today, in a dirty, formerly white t-shirt, another pair of ripped up jeans, and scuffed up, heavy duty work boots. He had obviously just returned home from work.  
  
Not that she was faring much better. She sported her ugliest pair of bright fuchsia scrubs with kittens on them. She was running behind on her wash, and these were the last pair she had clean. Her hair had frizzed out dramatically, having escaped her ponytail throughout the day.  
  
"Settled in? How are you faring?" She asked him as she opened the door to set the grocery bag on the kitchen counter, positioned immediately as you opened the door.  
  
"Well enough, I guess. Boxes are all unpacked, though not everything has found a home yet. I wanted to bring this back to you. I've been meaning to all week, but when I heard you in the hall, I thought I'd catch you."  
  
He held out the plate she had brought the cookies over to him on. She took it from him with a smile and a thanks.  
  
On sudden impulse, she said, "I've just been round to the market. I bought a frozen pizza for dinner. Nothing special, but you're welcome to join me if you'd like?"  
  
She felt foolish as soon as she said it. Surely he had better things to do than eat unhealthy frozen pizza with her on her sofa since her flat wasn't big enough for a proper dining table. 

She was shocked when he said, "Sounds great. Just let me go get cleaned up. I'll be back in 15 minutes?"  
  
She nodded her agreement and watched him disappear into his flat. Then she rushed into hers and started frantically cleaning up. Straightening out the bed, swiping all the trash off the coffee table, and throwing her morning teacup into the sink. Then she set the oven to preheat and went to get cleaned up herself.  
  
She was just coming out of the bathroom, fresh faced and in a comfy pair of sweat pants and t-shirt, when he knocked.  
  
Opening the door, she saw he had cleaned up, though his new clothes, while clean, didn't look too much different than his work clothes. Not that she was winning any awards with her outfit. She invited him in and waved him to sit on her sofa while she put the pizza in the oven.  
  
"I see what you mean about your flat. I didn't realize it was a studio," he said as she offered him a beer from the fridge.  
  
"Yes, well, now you know why I was so upset to see your flat. Identical, my arse!"  
  
He snorted and appeared to almost choke on his drink, then waved away her concern, "Sorry! I just didn't expect such language from you."  
  
"You don't know me at all, Sirius Black," she huffed with a smile, and he nodded.  
  
"True. I guess you just don't seem the type."  
  
They continued talking until the timer went off for the pizza. Then Hermione plated the newly cut slices onto paper plates, grabbed some napkins, and handed Sirius his dinner.  
  
"Not gourmet perhaps, but it gets the job done."  
  
She laughed as he nodded, a long string of cheese still connected to the slice from his mouth. He wiped his mouth with the napkin as he finished chewing, "Better than what I've been eating this last week. I'm mostly living on cold cuts and crisps for dinner."  
  
Hermione wrinkled her nose, "Well, at least this is a hot meal!"  
  
"You won't hear me complaining," he said as he took another by bite.  
  
"Well, I was raised in a house where dinner was a home cooked meal every night, no excuses. My mother would have a stroke if she knew I ate frozen pizza at least twice a week."  
  
"She doesn't know?" Sirius questioned and Hermione shrugged.  
  
"Our relationship is...strained. They don't approve of the career or lifestyle I have chosen and don't pull their punches in letting me know. I don't particularly care to have that kind of negativity in my life, so we see each other on major holidays and birthdays. They've never even been to my flat."  
  
She flushed at the intense look Sirius was giving her, then looked away embarrassed when he said, "What the hell is wrong with your career? And what do you mean by lifestyle? Eating dinner off paper plates in your sweats after work?"  
  
She smiled wanly, "Pretty much. I was their only child. They run a successful dentistry practice, and I was to follow in their footsteps. Except that's not what I wanted to do. And everything is so much about the right appearance with them. They would be truly horrified to see how I live."  
  
When she looked at him again, Sirius seemed to be studying his pizza intently. "You ok?" She questioned.  
  
His eyes snapped back to her and he quirked a smile, "Yeah, sure. It's just...our stories are very similar. Not in the details, of course, but the overall theme."  
  
She wrinkled her brow at that, "How so?"  
  
"Well, I grew up with parents who were...demanding. I wasn't an only child, but I was the oldest, and I was expected to fall in line. My younger brother, Regulus, didn't have it easy, but they didn't put as much pressure on him because they had hung their hopes on me."  
  
Sirius paused, seemingly lost in thought, before visibly shaking himself and continuing, "Reg and I were close growing up. He's only a year younger, so we were always into the same things at the same time. But by the time I became a teenager, I had already decided I wasn't interested in what my family had to offer. There was a family business involved, and a lot of social expectations that I didn't fit the mold for. The last straw came when I refused to go to University and decided to get a job in construction. I was seventeen, and I was written off by my parents then as a lost cause."  
  
He paused again, so she prompted, "And your brother?"  
  
"They had already turned the pressure up on him by then. They knew I was unlikely to fall in line, so they decided to begin grooming him in case. It had strained our relationship already, but when I took off, he really resented being left to pick up the pieces. We haven't really spoken much since."  
  
"Wow, that's...difficult. And your parents?"  
  
Sirius shrugged, "I saw them occasionally, like you see yours. But my father died about ten years ago, and he was always the more...forgiving of the two, though that's not saying much. I haven't seen my mother since his funeral."  
  
Hermione thought about his words, and how his story did parallel her own, but also made so much worse with a brother who resented him too.  
  
"Do you regret it?" She asked into the silence.  
  
He looked at her then and smiled, "No. At least I don't regret the decisions I made in taking my own path. And my parents never would have accepted it, so good riddance in my opinion. But Reg... I wish that had turned out differently."  
  
Without thinking, she reached out and grasped his hand, squeezing. Somehow, though she barely knew him, she felt connected to this man. He squeezed her hand back with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you going to invite me up?"  
  
Hermione cringed at the crass words. Would she never be rid of the man?  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea," she hedged, trying to inch away from him. She bumped up against the ancient iron stair rail for the front steps of her building, the loud rattle making her jump.  
  
"Aww, come on. We had a nice evening, didn't we?"  
  
If by nice, he meant completely horrid, then yes, they had had a nice evening. Why she ever let her friends talk her into setting her up, she didn't know.  
  
"It was fine. But I'm just... Not that kind of girl."  
  
She couldn't help the flinch that came across her face when her date raised his hand to tug on one of her curls, "Why don't you let me change your mind?"  
  
She saw him start to lean in and she panicked, leaning as far back as possible with the iron rail behind her. Suddenly, a throat cleared from the bottom of the steps. Relief flooded through her when she heard Sirius' raspy voice, "You're blocking the door."  
  
She gasped in feigned surprise, using the space created when her date had stepped back, no doubt to tell Sirius off, to slip away up the stairs, "So sorry about that. Anyway, thanks for dinner!"  
  
By her last words, she was already slipping through the front door, Sirius right behind her. She watched to make sure the door shut and locked behind him before leaning up against the wall in the dark corridor with a relieved sigh, closing her eyes.  
  
Her eyes snapped open at Sirius' amused chuckle, "That good, huh?"  
  
"He was a disgusting human being," Hermione spat, "I am going to kill Ron next time I see him."  
  
At Sirius' questioning look, "He's a friend. The one who set me up with that...man. I should have known better than to let Ron, of all people, set me up. But he said the guy was interested and a 'really nice bloke.'" Her sarcastic air quotations made Sirius bark a laugh. She couldn't help but smile, "Thanks for the save, by the way."  
  
"Any time. It was clear you weren't thrilled with what was about to happen. You were practically in the bushes by how far you were leaning over that rail."  
  
"Ugh!" She exclaimed, turning toward the stairs to make her way up to her flat, "I don't know what I would have done if he had managed to get his lips on me," she shivered involuntarily, "And I was afraid of unlocking the door in case he tried to follow me up. He already followed me home. I met him at the restaurant, and couldn't talk him out of trying to making sure I got home safe, or so he claimed."  
  
"Sounds like real marriage material," Sirius quipped as they reached his door, "Why don't you come in and have a drink? I promise not to try and kiss you."  
  
She smiled at the quip, though the little flip her stomach did surprised her, "Sure, why not?"  
  
She followed him into his kitchen, where he got them both a bottle of beer from the fridge, and they leaned up against his counter to drink. Sirius asked, "So, do your friends set you up often?"  
  
"Not often, no. But I can only take so much of 'you need to get out more' and 'live a little, 'Mione' before I do something crazy like go on a blind date."  
  
"Sounds like your friends are pretty annoying."  
  
"Not all of them. You're not so bad," she blushed at the comment. They were friendly, sure, and had spent some time together since Sirius had moved in a couple months before, but she suddenly felt foolish calling the older man her friend.  
  
Sirius only grinned at her, "Good to hear. And don't worry, I won't ever set you up with one of my friends. They're all too old for you anyway."  
  
She blushed again at that, but smiled and said, "Well, that's a relief."  
  
"So, do you not want to date? No relationships or everything that comes with it?"  
  
Hermione shrugged, "I wouldn't say that. It's just not top priority right now. And if I do meet someone, I always thought it would happen more organically."  
  
When Sirius raised his eyebrows in question she explained, "You know... Run into someone in a coffee shop and get to talking, and then he asks me for my number, and the rest is history. Not being set-up with some creep who spends the whole evening trying to get into my pants."  
  
"Has that ever happened to you? The fairy tale meet up?"  
  
"You sound so cynical! And no, it hasn't, but a girl can hope!"  
  
Sirius shook his head, "I don't believe in a happily ever after. I'm not sure I can, after what I've been through. But if you want to hope for that one day, more power to you." He saluted her with his beer bottle before taking a drink.  
  
"So...You aren't planning on dating again?" She tried to push down her own personal interest in his answer.  
  
He sighed deeply, "I don't know. Maybe one day, if I meet the right person. My ex married me for all the wrong reasons, but for me it was real. At least it was until she decided I was no longer worth the effort. And now I'm not sure if I can believe in a fairy tale ending."

Hermione was surprised at how sad his story made her. He had never talked about his ex-wife, beyond telling her that she was the reason he was living where he was. But he deserved to be treated better.  
  
"I hope you meet someone that changes your mind," she told him.  
  
He smiled at her, "And I hope no one breaks your heart before you find your happily ever after."  
  
Hermione was quiet, thinking about her own past relationships, "I've had my heart broken," She said quietly, "But I'm not ready to give up hope yet."  
  
"I'm glad," he said softly.  
  
They smiled at each other, and Hermione admitted to herself that maybe she had developed a tiny crush on her new friend. 


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione stared at the invitation and cursed. Another wedding! She had apparently entered the stage of life where all her friends were getting married and leaving her in the dust. She sighed and rubbed her temples.  
  
"To Ms. Hermione Granger and Guest. Ha!" She muttered to herself. She loved Luna, she really did. But did she have to mock her single status so blatantly on her wedding invite?  
  
Knowing she was being irrational, but still disturbed by the fact that this would be the fourth (fourth!) wedding in the past year that she had attended. Not only attended, but attended alone.  
  
Being single never bothered her until she had to face all the happiness and romance of her friends' weddings all by herself. That just made her sad.  
  
A knock at her door distracted her, and she opened it to find Sirius leaning on the frame, grinning with a greasy paper bag held up, "Can I interest you in the finest Moo Shu pork in town?"  
  
She grabbed his arm with a laugh, dragging him into her flat, "You know it! As if I ever turn down truly disgusting, unhealthy food!"  
  
His barking laugh made her grin as he set the food on the counter, right next to the wedding invitation she had been moaning over not minutes before.  
  
"Oh-ho, what's this?" He asked, picking it up, "Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander. What interesting names your friends have."  
  
"You're one to talk, Sirius Orion! And their personalities match their interesting names. Luna is one of my dearest friends, but she's...different."  
  
"Different in a good way, I assume."  
  
"Yes, but she's a bit of an acquired taste. I don't know Rolf that well, but from what I've seen of him, they are a good match."  
  
Sirius started setting the take out containers on the counter as she got plates, "Should be a fun wedding then."  
  
Hermione laughed humorlessly, "If only this wasn’t the fourth wedding this year I've attended without a date in sight. My friends are probably starting to think I've joined a convent."  
  
Sirius chuckled, "So, prove them wrong. Bring a date."  
  
Hermione smacked her forehead in mock enlightenment, "Why didn't I think of that?!" Then she smacked his arm and said, "If it were that easy to get a date, this wouldn't be the fourth wedding I've gone to without one."  
  
"It can't be that hard. It doesn't have to be a romantic date. Ask a friend."  
  
Hermione waved her hand in dismissal, "All my male friends will already be there with their dates. Except for you, of course."  
  
He froze, and she wondered why for a moment, before realizing what she had said. She looked up at him, wide eyed, before he muttered, "Oh no, I don't think so."  
  
"Why not?! It's perfect!"  
  
"I have no desire to go to some fancy wedding for complete strangers that are twenty years younger than me."  
  
She pouted then, "I'm twenty years younger than you. Maybe you no longer want to hang out with me?"  
  
"That's not what I meant!" He threw a dumpling at her when she grinned, "Thanks for trying to make me feel bad."  
  
"It's fine. I don't actually expect you to go. RSVP for one, yet again."  
  
He sighed deeply, sounding very long suffering, "Does it really bother you that much?"  
  
She shrugged, "Not really. It can just get a little lonely, being the only one without a partner."  
  
Then, before she could react, he had grabbed a pen off the counter and written their names on the RSVP card, then he picked up his plate and walked over to the couch, throwing over his shoulder, "Don't make me regret it!"  
  
Hermione couldn't contain her grin.

* * *

Five weeks later, Hermione was putting on the finishing touches to her hair, unruly curls pinned up halfway as neatly as she could make it. There was a knock at the door, and she grabbed her clutch and went to answer it.  
  
Nothing prepared her for what was waiting on the other side. Logically she had known Sirius would dress up for the wedding. In her head, she had pictured a button up shirt and slacks, maybe with a sport coat if he was feeling fancy. She had honestly never seen him wearing anything but a t-shirt and jeans, except for the faded leather jacket he wore in the colder months.  
  
But what she saw instead caused her eyes to widen and her mouth to fall open in slack-jawed shock. If she hadn't known it was Sirius, she wouldn't have recognized him, at least not at first glance. His hair, usually pulled back, fell down around his shoulder in glossy waves. His beard was trimmed short and neat. And he had a charcoal gray, three pieced suit on with a crisp white shirt and navy tie.  
  
"You look very beautiful tonight."  
  
His words cut through her shock, and as they registered, she felt herself blush, "Thank you. You...You look very handsome yourself."  
  
She cursed herself for her awkward stuttering, but he only smiled gently and offered her his arm.

As they walked together downstairs, she couldn't help but sneak looks at the man beside her. He looked so dramatically different, she could not get over the transformation. Unfortunately, Sirius noticed her not so subtle study and by the time they reached the street, he muttered, "You don't have to keep staring. I'll look like this all night."  
  
Hermione flushed, embarrassed by being caught, "I'm sorry. You just look...so different. I wasn't expecting it."  
  
Sirius took a deep breath then shrugged, "The way I normally look is... Well, it's a deliberate choice on my part. When I was young, it started as a way to rebel against my family and all they stood for. Then it became a way of...I don't know. Testing people, I guess."  
  
The wording confused her, "Testing people? What does that mean?"  
  
"It's complicated. It's involves family history and... it’s not something I want to drag up right now. Let's just say I've been disappointed by people who are impressed by perfectly styled hair, an expensive suit, and shiny shoes. So, I choose to look different than that."  
  
He paused and raised his arms out to his side, "But this. This is what I was raised to be."  
  
Hermione didn't consider herself a vain person, but she couldn't help but admit that the man that stood before her now cut a gorgeous figure. If she had never met him before, she probably would have looked at him twice while passing him on the street.  
  
But she wasn't seeing him for the first time. She had known him for nearly a year and had already developed feelings for him. A crush that she had tried to quash countless times over the past months, one that refused to stay buried. Well before she had seen him look so dashing, she had found him attractive. Not that she could tell him that.  
  
Instead of voicing any of her thoughts, she asked, "So, did I pass?"  
  
He dropped his arms, looking confused, "Pass?"  
  
"Your test. I assume it's a pass/fail thing, not a graded exam. Did I pass? I'll have you know I'll be very disappointed if I didn't. I've never failed a test in my life."  
  
He laughed then and offered his arm to her again as they started down the street to find a taxi on the main thoroughfare three blocks over.  
  
"Yes, you passed. With flying colors."  
  
Hermione beamed as she leaned into him.


	5. Chapter 5

"That should do it."

Hermione stared up at the cabinet with suspicion and asked, "Are you sure?"

Sirius gave her a withering look, "Don't be insulting. Of course I'm sure."

She held her hands out in supplication, "Sorry, sorry."

Hermione had come home from work the day before to find one of her two upper kitchen cabinets had come loose from the wall and was leaning precariously over the floor. Thankfully, her dishes had remained safe behind the still closed doors, but after a rather unfruitful argument with her landlord, Sirius had volunteered to come over and fix the cabinet for her.

"Well, thanks for the help. I don't know why I even bother trying to get the landlord to do anything he's actually supposed to do."

Sirius stepped back as Hermione moved to begin placing her dishes back into the newly reattached cabinet. But before she got too far, there was a sharp rapping at the door. She looked at Sirius, eyebrows raised. When he shrugged, she stepped over to unlock the door.

Her jaw dropped upon seeing who was on the other side, "Mum?!"

Her mother stood in the hall, dressed in navy trousers and a crisp white Polo shirt, hair perfectly coiffed and make-up flawless. She stared down her nose as Hermione, "Do close your mouth, dear."

Hermione's jaw snapped closed, and she watched helplessly as her mother barged past her without invitation.

"Won't you come in?" Hermione said sarcastically, shutting the door and turning to watch her mother turn slowly in a circle, eyes judging as they slid over every surface. She finally landed on Sirius, who was standing silently by the kitchen sink, watching. With obvious dismissal of his presence, her mother turned to face her.

"You haven't been returning my calls."

The irritated statement put Hermione on edge, "Yes, I'm sorry about that. I've been busy."

"Hmmm," her mother hummed, "Quite busy, I'm sure."

"What can I do for you, Mum?" Hermione questioned.

"I'm trying to plan your father birthday party for next month. It's an important milestone. He will only turn sixty once."

Hermione nodded when she didn't continue, and then she said, "We had always planned on him retiring at sixty. But we've been...disappointed in that regard."

Hermione gritted her teeth and replied, "Well, I'm sure there are plenty of young dentists out there who would be happy to join such a successful practice. Maybe you should find one so Dad can retire."

Her mother hummed again, then said, rather icily, "I'm sorry, but shouldn't you pay your handyman for his service so he can leave?"

"Mother!" Hermione cried, embarrassed, "Sirius is not my handyman. He's my neighbor. And a friend."

She knew what her mother would think about that. The condescending glare she received said everything.

"Maybe I should go," Sirius said softly.

"No!" Hermione cried at the same time her mother said, "Yes."

"No, stay," Hermione said, rather forcefully, eyes pleading as she looked at Sirius. He studied her for a moment, then nodded, leaning back against the counter.

She turned back to her mother, "Sirius is here on my invitation." Though she didn't say it, it was clearly implied that her mother had no such claim.

She thought for a moment her mother would say something scathing in reply, probably about having never been invited before, but instead she simply said, "I'm thinking the 29th of next month for the party. I wanted to check with you first before finalizing any plans to make sure you would be available to attend. Since you're so...busy."

Hermione struggled not to roll her eyes, "The 29th. Got it. I'll be there."

"Good. I will send you the details once they are finalized. Perhaps I should take you shopping for a new outfit before then?"

Hermione hated herself for the blush that stained her cheeks as her mother made an obvious show of taking in her post work t-shirt and sweatpants, hair in a messy braid and face bare of any make-up. She looked the antithesis of everything her mother represented. Her voice was hard when she responded, "No, thank you. That's unnecessary."

"As you wish. I will leave you to your evening."

Before Hermione could even say goodbye, she was out the door. She turned to look at Sirius, who was still leaning against the counter, "I'm so sorry about that."

Sirius waved a hand, "You don't have to apologize."

"No, I do," Hermione insisted, "I'm sorry, not only for my mother's behavior, but for making you stay. I'm sure you were uncomfortable. But I just couldn't face being alone with her. She would have been so much worse without a witness."

She walked over to the sofa, flopping down on it, and leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She felt exhausted by the unexpected visit. Sirius sat down next to her and she peeked over at him. He had assumed the same position as her, eyes turned to the ceiling. With her eyes on him, he turned his head to look at her and smiled, "I was happy to stay for you. And as for your mother... Well, let's just say nothing she could say would probably beat out anything my own mother has said over the years."

Hermione closed her eyes again, "We really are quite the pair, aren't we?"

Sirius took her hand and squeezed it. She expected him to let go right away, but he didn't. He threaded his fingers through hers and rested them both on the sofa between them. A simple gesture that meant much more to her than it possibly could to him.

She sneaked another peek at him. He was looking up toward the ceiling again. She studied him for a minute before he turned to look at her, quirking an eyebrow.

"I wish I could walk away. Be ok with breaking ties completely. But...I guess I'm a glutton for punishment."

Sirius appeared to mull over her words before saying, "No, I'm glad you can’t do it. If you were, you wouldn't be the same Hermione I've gotten to know over the last year. And I wouldn't want that."

His words warmed her all over and it was her turn to squeeze his hand. She closed her eyes again and concentrated on the feeling of his fingers intertwined with hers.

"You remember that test I told you about? Before the wedding?"

His quiet words almost startled her, "About your appearance? Yes, I remember."

"Your mother didn't pass it."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at that, "No. No, she wouldn't have."

No matter what, he always knew how to make her feel better.


	6. Chapter 6

There was a man standing outside Sirius' flat one day when Hermione returned home from work. She was shocked to see him. As far as she knew, none of his friends visited him here. He always went out to meet them, no doubt embarrassed over his current living situation. She stopped just short of reaching the man in the dark hallway  
  
"If you're looking for Sirius, he works late on Thursdays."  
  
At her words, the man spun to face her, and she barely contained a gasp. It didn't take her long to realize that this must be Regulus, Sirius' younger brother. They weren't identical, and this man was much better groomed and dressed than she had ever seen Sirius, even the night of the wedding. But she could see Sirius in the angles of this man's clean shaven face, and the dark waves of his short, perfectly gelled hair.  
  
"Ah," he said, voice deep but not at all raspy like Sirius, "Do you know what time he usually arrives home?"  
  
She glanced at her wrist watch, "Probably not for a couple hours."  
  
That seemed to agitate the man, so she continued, "I can let him know you stopped by. I live right next door and will hear when he arrives home."  
  
The tension in his face eased, and he smiled at her. That smile made him look much more like Sirius, "If you could, it would be much appreciated. Here's my card. Please ask him to call me tonight, no matter how late. It's urgent."  
  
She reflexively reached out and took the business card from the man's hand before he quickly bade her goodnight and eased passed her to go down the stairs. Bemused, Hermione made her way to her flat, setting her bag on the counter before dropping down onto the couch and slipping her shoes off.  
  
It was then that she looked at the card to confirm her suspicions, but before she could register the man's name, she was distracted by the logo on the top left-hand corner of the card. She stared at it for a long moment before her brain realized what she was looking at.  
  
Black Industries. That was the name of the company. While she was not a business minded person, she knew the name. Knew it well. Everyone knew Black Industries. It was a huge, multi-national, and likely, multi-billion dollar corporation.  
  
This was the family business Sirius had walked away from? A quick glance told her that she had been right, the man had been Regulus and his title listed him as President and CEO. The position that had been meant for Sirius.  
  
Her brain swam as everything clicked into place. Everything he had told her about his family and his brother. About why he portrayed himself the way he did in his appearance. It all made sense now. He was a Black from Black Industries. Had he chosen it, he would have been in the position his brother was in now, likely making oodles of money. But instead, he was living in a one bedroom flat on the wrong side of town working as a construction worker.  
  
Why had he never told her? Well, she supposed he had, in the very basic sense. But she had thought he meant some small, family-owned business. Maybe an accounting firm or something equally as boring that Sirius would have hated. Not this. Never this.  
  
She had told him everything about herself. Every last detail about her relationship with her parents to how awkward she had felt growing up. And she had never realized it before, but she didn't really know him well at all. Not if this is what he had been withholding from her all this time.  
  
She pulled her phone out to look up Black Industries. That sent her down a rabbit hole she never expected to go down, and before she knew it, she was startled to hear the sound of Sirius's door opening and closing.  
  
Realizing she was still in her scrubs, she contemplated changing before going next door, but dismissed the idea. She wanted to do this as soon as possible.  
  
When he opened the door at her knock, he barely even glanced at her before turning back around and heading back down the entry hall, calling over his shoulder, "I know it's probably my turn to make the pizza, but I forgot to stop at the store. Do you have one? Or should we order in?"  
  
She followed him into his living room and stopped. He was in the kitchen, peering into his freezer as if hoping a frozen pizza would materialize. When she didn't respond, he turned to look at her, "Hey, you ok?" He asked, closing the freezer door.  
  
"Ummm... There was a man here looking for you earlier. I told him I'd tell you he stopped by. He gave me his card for you," she held out the card for him to take.  
  
He walked towards her slowly, eyeing her. When he was close enough to reach it, he took the card from her hand and glanced down at it. Then his eyes snapped up to hers. The clear guilt there told her everything she had wondered in the last couple hours.  
  
"Hermione, I-"  
  
"You should call him," she interrupted, "He seemed pretty upset. He wants to speak with you tonight. Said it was urgent."  
  
"I'll call him. But please, just let me explain."  
  
"There's nothing to explain. I... It's none of my business. You don't owe me anything, Sirius," her voice hitched, and she knew that if she didn't get out of there soon, she would start crying. And she refused to do that in front of him.  
  
"Hermione, wait!" He called after her as she spun around and hurried out of his flat.

* * *

She had cried, but not for long. When she heard Sirius' door slam, she knew he had left, probably to meet his brother. So she decided that she would wait him out, and let him explain before jumping to any conclusions. She fell into a fitful sleep hours later.  
  
The knock that woke her came after two am. She stumbled in the dark to the door to find Sirius on the other side. She stared at him dumbly as he took in her oversized t-shirt and barely-there sleep shorts.  
  
"I'm sorry, I know it's the middle of the night. But I need to talk to you," his raspy voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
"Of course," she whispered back, opening the door for him to enter. When he stepped into the flat, he just stood there in her kitchen. She closed the door behind her, flicked on the overhead light, and asked, "What is it?"  
  
"My mother died this morning. She had a stroke."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione said. And she was. Regardless of his relationship with her, she was still his mother.  
  
He shrugged, "Are you? I'm not sure I am."  
  
"You don't mean that," she chided him.  
  
"No. No, I suppose I don't. But I also don't feel sad about it."  
  
"You can still feel her loss even if it doesn't make you sad."  
  
"'You are my biggest disappointment.' Those we're the last words she ever said to me. At my father's funeral."  
  
Her heart reached out to him, though she was still hurting from the knowledge she had gained earlier in the day. Even so, she wrapped him in a hug, her arms coming around his neck in comfort, and she felt him shudder as his arms came around her back.  
  
After a few moments of simply holding each other, she felt his breath tickle her ear as he whispered, "I'm sorry."  
  
She pulled back to look him in the eye, leaving her hands on his shoulders, "We don't need to talk about this now."  
  
"Yes, we do. I won't be able to rest knowing this has come between us. I should have told you. I should have told you a hundred times over. And I have no real excuse as to why I didn't."  
  
She sighed and pulled away, "It really isn't any of my business. You've told me enough."  
  
"No, I haven't. I may not have lied to you, but I knew that you had made certain assumptions about my background. About my family. And I never corrected those assumptions. It was easier for me, I suppose, to let you believe I came from a different life than I did. One more like your own. But... I should have told you. And I want to do so now, if you'll let me."  
  
At her nod, he took her hand and pulled her to the sofa, and told her all about his history. The family business, started by his great-great-grandfather, passed down to the oldest son over generations, and grown into the successful corporation it was today. The expectations placed on him from birth to follow in their footsteps. The boarding schools he attended to groom him for that life. The parents who publicly doted on him, while privately driving him with more and more fervor until his resentment and anger drove him to rebel and walk away.  
  
That his father, in some misguided attempt to make amends, had left him a lot of money with his passing, without his wife's knowledge or approval. It was what had drove Sirius to finally break ties with his mother, and though he hadn't wanted the money, he had accepted it after Regulus had convinced him that it had been a well-meant gesture from their father.  
  
Then he told her of his marriage. That his ex-wife had known him since their teenage years, and they had met up again a couple years after his father's death. That he knew she could be vain and spoiled, but that she could also be kind and fun, and that he had loved her, at first at least. They had married quickly, but not too long after, he had realized that she was only interested in the inheritance he had gained from his father, and the status that came along in her social circles with the Black name, even if it was through the ex-communicated son.  
  
Their marriage had been good for a while before she started putting pressure on him to change. To fall in line like his parents had expected. Then they started having problems, which led to a very long and messy divorce that found Sirius living where he was now, and his ex-wife living in a penthouse in the heart of the city.  
  
When he came to the end of his tale, he asked, "Do you forgive me? For not telling you?"  
  
After hearing his story, she found she couldn't be upset that he had never told her the truth about his family. He hadn't done it to hurt her, and she felt he had suffered enough dealing with all the drama over the years.  
  
She laid her head on his shoulder, "You don't need my forgiveness. I'm not upset. I won't lie and say I wasn't hurt that you hadn't told me, but...it doesn't change anything between us."  
  
She felt him sigh, "I know it's a lot to ask. Too much to ask. But would you go to the funeral with me? I can't skip it even if I wanted to. I won't do that to Reg, but facing all that alone... I don't think I can."  
  
"Of course. I would do anything for you."  
  
If she hadn't been half asleep already, she may have been embarrassed by the admission. But Sirius didn't comment, and she ended up falling asleep there on his shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione stared up at the snow falling from the depressingly grey sky through her flat's one window. Yesterday had been an unseasonably warm, sunny day, and to now face the cold and snow today on her walk to and from work made her shudder.  
  
She turned to fix her tea as her kettle started to whistle and considered the coming evening. Sirius had texted her earlier that morning to say he would be home after work. In the past, that would have meant getting together for takeout or a frozen meal while they commiserated over their workday, but Hermione had no idea what to expect.  
  
She hadn't seen him all week, not since the funeral. He had been busy dealing with the aftermath of his mother's death, and she knew he felt guilty for having left his brother to deal with things on his own for too long. So, he was trying to make up for it by being there for him now. She understood that, but it was the longest she had gone without spending time with him since they had become friends. And maybe she shouldn't be feeling the way she was, but she didn't know how to behave when she saw him later.  
  
She wanted to pretend that nothing had changed, because truly, nothing had. Her knowing about his background didn't really change anything, but she couldn't pretend like she didn't know. Especially not since she had attended his mother's funeral with him.  
  
She had thought her own family had been complicated, but facing the reality of Sirius' family had made her feel completely out of her league. Despite her personal failings as a mother, Sirius' mother had been quite a popular woman. Her funeral had been packed, and everywhere she turned, Hermione had been faced with very judgmental high society members who all clearly knew who Sirius was and found him wanting.  
  
They also all clearly thought she and Sirius were together. Romantically. A number of comments had been made in passing, and she didn't know what embarrassed her more--that everyone thought Sirius was apparently going through a mid-life crisis after his divorce, or that Sirius himself had been completely shocked the first time someone asked how long they had been together. His spluttering denials had her blushing, and humiliatingly, tearing up. Though she knew Sirius didn't see her that way, the fact that he hadn't even considered it a possibility that others may question their relationship and fought so hard and fast to deny it (and deny it, and deny it, over and over again all night), made her heart hurt in a way that she was entirely too uncomfortable with.  
  
At the end of the night, when he had left her at her door completely exhausted and emotionally battered by the difficult evening, he had barely even looked at her as he said thank you. Then he had left her standing there, feeling even more foolish, as she watched him disappear into his flat.  
  
As she wondered over what she should expect when she saw him, her phone pinged again with another text from Sirius saying he would pick up dinner and come to her flat. Resolving to put it out of her mind, she finished getting ready for work.

* * *

When Sirius' knock came, Hermione was already in her after work outfit of sweats and a t-shirt, with the addition of an over large, cable knit cardigan to combat the cold permeating her flat. She tried to push down her butterflies as she opened the door to see him standing there, brown paper bag in hand. He sent her a tired smile, and she opened the door for him to enter.  
  
Nothing was said as they plated their take away. Once they settled onto her couch, Sirius just started eating, and Hermione quietly ventured, "How are you doing?"  
  
He shrugged one shoulder without looking up, "As well as can be expected, I guess. Reg has begun the process of sorting her estate. I've been over there most nights helping, though she would have hated that. She left him her house, of course, but Reg's wife thinks it's creepy, so he's planning on selling. We'll start sorting through her stuff within the next couple weeks to get it ready to put on the market."  
  
Hermione nodded, though he still wasn't looking at her. After several uncomfortable moments where all that could be heard was the clinking of their forks on the plates, Sirius said suddenly, "He wants me to come back."  
  
Hermione looked up at him in surprise to find him staring at her intently, "Come back? To what?"  
  
Another shrug, though this time he kept her eye, "To the company. To the family, I suppose, since the two are so closely linked."  
  
Hermione swallowed hard, "You can't come back to the family without coming back to the company?"  
  
He sighed and set his plate down on the coffee table, "I suppose I could, yes. At least where Reg is concerned. We've spent the last week getting reacquainted. Working through our issues and forgiving each other for various slights, real or imagined. He told me last night that he has never felt comfortable in the role he was forced into after I left, but he didn't have the courage or strength to go against our parents. And since the main reason I decided to leave was because of our parents, and they're both gone, he asked if i would be willing to come back. Not as CEO, but a different capacity. Whatever I wanted, really."  
  
Hermione stared in shock, "Is that what you want?"  
  
A long moment of silence met her question before he responded, "Maybe."  
  
She sucked in a breath, and he continued, "I know it sounds crazy. I wanted nothing more than to get away from that life, but... I don't know. What he's offering, it's...intriguing. And he isn't trying to force me into anything or threatening me. Not like my parents. But I just need some time to think it through."  
  
Hermione couldn't fathom what she was hearing. After several minutes of silence, she finally ventured, "But...wouldn't you be unhappy? I thought... Well, I thought you chose this life because it was what you wanted. Not just to spite your family."  
  
He suddenly slammed his plate down and stood, anger clearly written in his rigid back and furrowed brow as he spun to face her, "Yes, I chose this life! A life where I am 45 years old, divorced, no children, living in a dump, and working 60 hour weeks to make ends meet! I showed my family, huh?! Living my pathetic life, poor and alone!"  
  
Hermione was completely stunned. She had never seen him angry, at least not like this. And she had never heard him complain about his life like this. He loved his job, even with the long hours, or so she thought, and he never seemed dissatisfied with his life, run down flat notwithstanding.

He seemed just as surprised as her at his outburst, and he quickly deflated, rubbing his forehead in clear frustration, "I'm sorry," he said, voice now low and measured, "I didn't mean to lose it like that."  
  
"You are not pathetic," Hermione responded, voice sharp. Then she softened when he flinched at her words, "And you are not alone."  
  
She had meant the words as a comfort, but the look on his face told her he didn't find them as such. His response, when it came, made her heart seize up, "For now, perhaps. But one day you will find someone to share your life with. You really shouldn't be wasting it spending time with me."  
  
"I'm not wasting it," she snapped, "You are not a waste of time, Sirius."  
  
"No, perhaps not. Nonetheless, I am your friend. And one day you will meet someone and get married. Hopefully move away from this place. And I will still be here. Unless I take Reg up on his offer"  
  
Hermione sighed, "Just, don’t make any rash decision. It's only really been a week since you reconciled. Think about it. Consider the impact it will have on your life."  
  
'On my life' she thought, though she didn't voice it out loud.  
  
He nodded, before coming to sit back down, "Of course I will."  
  
She leaned down to catch his eye as he stared into his lap, "Because the Sirius Black I know is pretty amazing. Even though he's 45, divorced and childless, working 60 hours a week, and living in this dump."  
  
That startled a bark of laughter out of him and he visibly relaxed. He picked up his plate again, and they finally fell into an easy conversation. 


End file.
